ZESCO has commissioned the new US$4.4 million transformer at Leopards Hill sub-station.
With the new 150MVA transformer in place, Zesco expects load-shedding to reduce by more than 50 per cent in Lusaka.
The old 125MVA transformer was gutted by fire in June last year.
Speaking yesterday when he commissioned the transformer bought from India, Zesco board chairperson Kwalela Lamaswala said it would increase transformational capacity for the Lusaka load by a further 25MVA.
Mr Lamaswala said the preliminary tests had recorded positive results, and the transformer had undergone various pre-commissioning tests after which it was finally switched on, on February 22, 2010.
“The installation works of the transformer were completed on Saturday, February 20, 2010. This development means load-shedding in Lusaka will be significantly reduced,” Mr Lamaswala said.
He commended cooperating partners, among them, Lusaka City Council, Zambia Army, Zambia Police, and Zambia National Service for their support during the fire that destroyed the old transformer.
“Our appeal to our customers is to continue to switch and save so that we can collectively minimise the impact of load-shedding,” he said.
Mr Lamaswala expressed sadness at the increased incidences of vandalism of Zesco installations, which he said cost millions of Kwacha to replace.
Recently, a tower collapsed on the transmission line between Luano and Kansanshi sub-station due to vandalism and caused power outage, while one person was electrocuted in Ndola in the process of vandalising a cable.
And Zesco acting managing director Ernest Mupwaya said the company had installed advanced fire-fighting equipment and surveillance cameras at sensitive sub-stations.
Mr Mupwaya said the company was losing huge sums of money due to vandalism.
He cited Western Province where Zesco spent more than $10 million on buying new machines after the old ones were vandalised.
[Times of Zambia]
This news affects our lives, but we do not seem to be interested. If you give this item a political twist and somehow mentioned RB, Chiluba, Sata or even HH then LT will be flooded with comments. What a shameless country!
Well this is a cause for coaebrltien then. Now I have a good excuse to open up a bottle of Pino Grisio, I’ll lift my glass up to you guys for quelling my fears of losing out on joining the party after all. Thanks fellas and cheers.
This so called transformer looks like something that can be made locally. 4.4 iyo mulelanda can get a lot of Zedians out of poverty. 😕
Kinda No 1 nice observation
There are very few people who are interested about such news, this show how shallow minded Africans are, I say this because there are very few people who can analyze issues as they are and understand technology, I wonder how many people understand things like 150MVA- grade 12 physics
People don’t look at issues affecting there lives, that is the reason why Politicians have taken advantage to lie to the people cos they know that the people who they are lie to are not interested in things around them. all they want in MANA falling from heaven.
Only when the mind set of Zambians change will you see development no matter who comes in the top office as president.
Well said #1 kunda,LT is full of caders and relatives of government officials who will go to great lengths to defend and justify their existence,same goes for opposition caders.
What really caused this load shading in the first place,could it be that there wasnt enough water to generate power or the old gutted generator couldnt handle load
Kunda, hope you were there in the 1990’s. All talk was how to remove KK even in churches, the same church the MMD govt doesnt want to comment on political issues, was in the forefront strategizing on how to deliver a killer blow on KK’s head.
so its just a matter of time and right now people need a political emancipator and hence the thinking, commenting and general mood in the nation.
All in all, i pray ZESCO delivers on its promises as loadshedding is killing a lot of businesses and impairing a lot of lives.
Zesco recently energised a Sub Station off Lusaka Road in Livingstone and the former MD C. Chitundo assured Livingstonians that the tourist capital loadshedding was history but it looks like they have just loadshedding without much ado. Imagine how the tourist capital looks like most of the time at night.
From my grade 12 physics, I know that a transformer is just a bundle of wound copper wires. Why do we have to import such. A subsidiary of ZESCO can make these. We sell our raw copper to Indians, they employ their chaps to make the transformer, we import it at a cost only to have our chaps vandalize it because they’re idle. You took the jobs to the Indians. Involve Zambians in making these things then they’ll appreciate their value. They’ll not vandalize their handiwork.
Chief BB, sorry to say, but unless u were born yesterday or you been living in Greenland the last 30 yesrs, you shud know that Zambia cannot even make a light bulb of which all or 90% raw materisls are obtainable locally. Now, skilled physicists aside,we lack dedication & commitment to produce a quality
product. Graduates or not, we even fail politics!
I’ve had salmiir weird conversations with Comcast’s live chat. Comcast: I understand you have a concern if your address is serviceable for Comcast High Speed Internet.Comcast: Is that correct?Guest_:yesComcast: :>Thank you for confirming that.Comcast: >You must be very excited.Guest_:>???Comcast: Thank you for staying online. I have the information we need.My personal theory is that the entity at the other end of the chat is an automated intelligent bot, not a human being. Either that ot they are extremely bored at the office over there and their supervisor is asleep.
# 2 Virginia and # 7 Chief BB…..Looking at the picture of the thing , i have been thinking the same. There is nothing hi tech about a transformer really….But then it isn’t surprising for Z…You only have to look at the roads and railways…. Basic functions that cannot function properly.
…BTW Virginia # 2…..Are you female?..Very imaginative name you have there , i must say… ..:)
The physics of a transformer is simple, but to construct a high voltage transformer carrying 330,000 volts is a very difficult task. alot of mathematics and material science is applied.even the materials when you open the transformer inside you will find a complex set of materials you have never seen before
At 330,000 volts you only need to keep a distance of only 1 METER before you are electrocuted to your GRAVE
I am sure such a transformer was designed by a group of Engineers with at least a PHD in Chemistry, Electrical engineering and Mechanical engineering.
I don’t know how many engineers in ZESCO have PHDs
Hi Pete,We do care about the PC users. It’s cinmog we swear . WRT the special deal. PC users will be grandfathered in as well. If you signed up for the PC waiting list before Dec 7th. You will get the same treatment as the Mac folks. We are one with the PC folks we just had a hard time finding a programmer we could vibe with. We now have that person.. he kicks ass PC cinmog soon.. we swear
Which of the Oregon games is at home and which on the road? You have them both makred as home games thanks